Boredom, loneliness, and disorientation challenge a person in recovery. In order to get by, we evaluate our environment, figure out our safety netst, and then settle in. For a lot of people, that safety net is activity — work, meetings, counseling sessions, sports, church, school, etc. But those things have been ripped away. If we’re…
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We’ve been sheltering in place for a month now, and that’s an entirely different experience than when we thought this would only last two weeks. We don’t know when this will end, and we all face challenges whether we have addiction issues or not. Tolerating a situation for a set period of time is one…
DetailsAs concerns about the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) grow, we here Spring Gardens Recovery, wanted to give you an update on how we are addressing these concerns throughout our program. Our top priority is the health and safety of our clients, their families, alumni, and our staff. We will continue to provide the quality, comprehensive treatment…
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When you’re in recovery, alcohol and drug cravings happen. Stress, tiredness, boredom, depression, anxiety, or even happiness can trigger the urge to have a drink or imbibe in your former drug of choice. So what should you do when you know that they absolutely will happen? Habits and The Brain When behaviors are repeated over…
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Addictions don’t happen in a vacuum. And once they happen, they don’t leave our friends and families untouched. Whether you’re the person who is addicted or you love that person, the substance use disorder shapes the way we relate to each other on a basic level. We call this behavior pattern “codependency.” What is Codependency?…
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Maddie is driving down Main Street–she’s only 7 minutes from the Starbucks where she’s meeting her best friend, Jenny. Maddie hasn’t seen Jenny in over a year and she’s been so looking forward to this. Suddenly, a light appears on her dash–it’s a big, red genie lamp. What should Maddie do? Get to Starbucks and…
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You’re feeling it. You know that your drinking or drug use is more of a problem than you want it to be. You’re having a hard time telling yourself that you’re in control of it…that it’s not in control of you. Or maybe you’re well beyond that. Looking at the next couple of months…it’s the…
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Before you began your recovery journey, travel meant an opportunity to let loose. For each of us, there can be different reasons why alcohol and travel go together so well on a trip, but now that you’re away from home, for whatever reason, you’re going to have to strategize how to untangle the two. Drinking…
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Malnutrition almost always accompanies long-term substance abuse, yet most programs don’t incorporate nutrition into their treatment plans. Your body has been terribly depleted during your period of substance abuse. You need to rebuild those nutrient stores in order to heal. Face it: you haven’t been kind to your body, and it’s paying the price. When…
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Growing up, my favorite book wasn’t a novel or a fairytale, it was a diary: The Diary of Anne Frank. Without knowing the ordeal that was coming, someone had given Anne a typical birthday gift for a 12-year-old… A diary full of blank pages just waiting for her to fill them. In the midst of…
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